Yesterday, the guys from Panasonic had a media event in Melbourne to launch their new range of home AV gear, including their VT20 3D plasma and their Yahoo7 partnership. But one of the most interesting aspects of the whole event wasn’t actually a Panasonic product – it was the massive stage/screen they had set up in the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Like a giant Celebrity Squares stage, the main portion was made up of nine squares that would have been about two metres high by two metres wide each. Covering the entire setup was a material of unknown origin, that could both reflect an image projected onto it as well as show people behind it in individual squares.
As the throng on media entered, only the top, centre square was illuminated, showing the DJ and guitarist playing soft entrance music. After we had taken our seats, a singer appeared in the centre square, surrounded by the projected image of a brick wall. As her song progressed, different squares of projected wall disappeared to reveal dancers and backup singers.
After the song finished, Panasonic began their presentation, using the stage to act as a large screen to show Panasonic’s MD Steve Rust as he addressed the crowd.
On either side of the centre stage were two other equally high (but not quite as wide) screens. During the finale (another song, just before we went to look at the products), the walls came crashing down in a sea of polystyrene foam bricks.
On closer inspection, the main section was lit up by three huge vertically aligned projectors, while both the side screens were lit by two. I was told that the multiple projector setup was to improve the brightness, although specific details on the type of projectors and material it was projected onto was unknown.
Panasonic told me that whole thing was put together by a company called Imagination based out of Sydney. All I can say is that they sure as hell did a great job…
Dan Halford
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 1:17 PMThe projection material is probably nothing more exotic than a large sheet of gauze, similar to that use to make net curtains. When lit from the front, it’s mostly opaque. When lit from behind, it’s most transparent. By balancing the lighting, especially when using a projector which (by definition) only lights part of the gauze screen, you can selectively make parts opaque.
The same trick’s been used for years in theatres to make things appear and disappear on stage.
Jamie
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 2:15 PMDan’s right. It’s called a ‘Scrim’. It’s about 150 years old.
MattWatt
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 2:48 PMProjectors are Event grade Barco units:
http://www.projectorcentral.com/Barco-FLM_R22+.htm
Andrew Siers
Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 5:41 PMThe cube is a nice effect but isn’t original in the slightest. Etienne De Crecy did it a couple years ago.
Mike
Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 2:47 PMPartially correct – de Crecy’s was different in that his was solely an entertainment/music installation with only that agenda being served. What’s original here is the context of it being used for entertainment and communication, changing seamlessly between the two.
Techno Johny
Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 5:42 PMThe Video screens were done by a company called TDC out of Sydney, They have the best gear and technicians in the country.
Chris
Sunday, April 25, 2010 at 8:22 AMHi Nick,
Thanks for the write up and for taking an interest in the show.
For those that are interested, the experience was created using a mix of current technology and time-tested theatre technique. To get the 3D effect you mentioned, we used a thin scrim on the front of the 9m x 9m scaffold structure (comprised 3x 3x3m squares) with the rear covered using a thicker cyclorama (the material they use for TV backdrops), which we lit using stage lighting.
To ‘switch on and off’ some of the squares we used an illusion technique of creating images with areas of black on them that are then projected – the result is the black doesn’t show up on the scrim, leaving the cyclorama as the light source – the box then ‘magically’ appears.
For spec-techies, we deployed 7x 22k Barco projectors with a software package called Isadora creating the backdrops, and an Encore desk mixing in the broadcast cameras. But that is just scratching the surface as you’ll see from this picture of the control desk.
Our aim was to create an immersive 3D experience that would complement the dynamism of the Panasonic’s new range. We’re delighted to have achieved this.
Thanks,
Chris
Imagination